“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Eph. 5:15-17 ESV)

God’s wisdom defined

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17 ESV)

Ask God for it

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5 ESV)

Act wisely by hearing and doing God’s Word

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matt. 7:24 ESV)

Therefore…

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” (Col. 4:5 ESV)

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” (James 3:13 ESV)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1 NIV)

Do not let your hearts be troubled

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27 NIV)

God comforts with compassion

“Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” (Isa. 49:13 NIV)

God’s blesses those who mourn

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt. 5:4 NIV)

God comforts with His unfailing love

“May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.” (Psalm 119:76 NIV)

Therefore…

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4 NIV)

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zeph. 3:17 ESV)

From the above passage, we learn seven important things about God and His relationship with you

• He is your God: Another verse says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isa. 41:10 ESV)
• He is in your midst: Another verse says He will never leave or forsake you (Heb. 13:5).  
• He is mighty: Another verse says, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” (Isa. 40:28-29 ESV)
• He will save: Another verse says, “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:13 ESV)
• He will rejoice over you with gladness: Another verse says, “He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy.” (Psalm 105:43 NIV)
• He will quiet you with is love: Another verse says, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16 ESV)
• He will exalt over you with loud singing: Another verse says, “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 49:3 ESV)

“But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.” (Job 32:8 ESV)

To understand: to perceive the meaning of; grasp the idea of; comprehend, apprehend, picture, visualize, to “get” it.

The Holy Spirit will give you revelation and understanding concerning things to come

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:13 ESV)

Ask God for wisdom and understanding

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5 NASB)

He will teach you what you ought to say

“For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:12 ESV)

“If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.” (Deut. 21:13-15 NLT)

According to the above passage, blessings come from doing the following things

• Carefully obey the commands of the Lord
• Love the Lord with all your heart
• Serve him with all your heart and soul

The blessings you will will receive from God

• He will send rain in their proper seasons—the early and late rains.
• You can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil.
• He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock.
• You will have all you want to eat.

Put God first and delight yourself in Him

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33 NASB)

“Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 NASB)

“A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” (Prov. 16:28 ESV)

Gossip: to reveal personal or sensational tales or secrets about others; blab, dish, talk, tattle, backchat, cackle, chitchat, confabulation, gab, jangle, jaw, to schmooze.

A gossiper slanders and reveals secrets

“Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.” (Prov. 11:13 ESV)

Commands and warnings about slandering others

“You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.” (Lav. 9:16 ESV)

“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.” (Exo. 23:1 ESV)

“Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.” (Psalm 101:5 ESV)

Use only talk that builds others up with grace

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Eph. 4:29 ESV)

“To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” (Titus 3:2 ESV)

“Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely.” (Psalm 141:10 ESV)

Trap: A stratagem for catching or tricking an unwary person. A confining or undesirable circumstance from which escape or relief is difficult.

“You take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge.” (Psalm 31:4 ESV)

Watch yourself!

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.” (Luke 21:34 ESV)

Do not believe every spirit!

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1 ESV)

They set a net for your steps

“They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves.” (Psalm 57:6 ESV)

Jesus delivers you from present evil

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Gal. 1:3-5 ESV)

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I  press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  (Phil. 3:13-14 NIV)

Singleness of purpose

Someone has said, “The way to kill a man’s vision, is to give him two visions.” That’s so true! The secret to being successful is to have singleness of purpose and to stay focussed on what God  has created you to do. The apostle Paul said, “This one thing I do.” Paul knew that He was to do one thing, to “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Ultimately, like Paul, we are to put God first in everything we do and then things will fall into place as we  go along.

Put God first in everything

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33 ESV)

God appointed you to bear fruit

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (John 15:16 NIV)

God will make it happen

“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:24 NIV)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28 NIV)

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (John 17:15-16 ESV)

Worldly: relating to, or devoted to, the temporal world,  the condition of being concerned with worldly affairs, especially to the neglect of spiritual things.

Do not love the world or things

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17 ESV)

Worldly people, devoid of the Spirit

“It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.” (Jude 1:19 ESV)

Renounce ungodliness and worldly passions

“Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” (Titus 2:12 ESV)

Be transformed

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom. 12:2 ESV)

Set your mind on things above

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Col. 3:2 ESV)